‘"God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy." Hebrews 1:9 NIV
Take an inventory of the places in your life where you are striving hard to change and change is coming hard. Remember, you have the ‘anointing’ or Spirit of God living within you. There are some struggles that will require that help from the Spirit. The scripture calls them the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ and they come from simply asking and allowing His Spirit to grow them within you.
It is hard to love the unloving, to be patient when you don’t feel patient and to lay down your life for others. It isn’t natural but it is what God desires. You don’t do it. You allow it.
"It is the common deed accomplished while the common man is under God’s anointing that thrills the angels." Dwight Moody
You May Not Know:
In Isaiah 20:27, the original word translated in the phrase ‘the anointing will break the yoke’ actually means ‘fat’. The animal would grow so big and fat that he would break the yoke. The word ‘anointing oil’ used of old originally came from that fat.
The word for anointing, charisma, is a compound word: icharis, meaning power plus the suffix ma meaning ‘toward a goal’. Scholars agree that the word may be properly translated ‘power flow’.
You can experience the ‘power flow’ of God every day when you do them by the power of the Lord. Give what effort you can and trust the presence of God to do the rest, especially what you cannot see.
Today’s Readings
OT Judges 20-21 NT Luke 11:1-28
Today’s Wisdom
Decide to get up thirty minutes earlier. Do this for a year and you will add over seven days to your waking world.
"I rise before the dawning of the morning and cry for help. I hope in Your Word." Psalm 119:147
Today’s Humor
How do they get the "Keep off the grass" sign on the grass?
A Buddhist monk walks up to a hot dog vendor and asks, "Make me one with everything!"
There are 3 essential tools: duct tape, WD40 and a hammer. If something is moving and it shouldn’t be, duct tape it. If it isn’t moving and it should be, use WD40. If it still doesn’t move, hit it with a hammer. If it breaks, tape it back together with the duct tape.
Enjoy the day. Michael